But the Argonauts general manager/head coach is willing to hear what free agent quarterback Jarious Jackson has to say.

“I’m going to speak with him,” Barker said on Wednesday afternoon, approximately 14 hours after free agency in the Canadian Football League opened at 12:01 a.m.

“He’s a veteran of this league and wants to talk to me, and he deserves that opportunity. We’re not doing our due diligence if we don’t investigate everything. With that being said, he is a guy who has had a shoulder injury and has not played (regularly) in a year and a half.”

Jackson played in just two games for the B.C. Lions in 2010, and if there comes a point that he signs with the Argos, his contract would be incentive-laden, with no money up front. What’s also working against him is he will turn 34 before the 2011 regular season starts.

Cleo Lemon and Dalton Bell, if nothing changes, will be the in competition for the No. 1 role in camp. If nothing happens on the Jackson front, Barker won’t lose sleep.

“You never know what can happen, but I like where we are at right now,” Barker said.

Barker could have had Jackson via trade last year, but was concerned about the latter’s injury trouble. And for the same reason, Barker decided against trying to get Buck Pierce, who instead went to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and played in just five games.

Barker said he did not expect to have any player signings to announce on Wednesday, which would go hand-in-hand with his pre-free agency pronouncement that he did not think he would be overly active.

Barker indicated that defensive tackle Kevin Huntley, who has had shoulder surgery and was signed to an extension in the minutes before free agency started, will be fully healthy when training camp opens in June.